Don’t know what to read next? Looking for YA book recommendations? Welcome to the Book Chat with the Young Adult Team. Every month, the YA Team each recommends a favorite book from our YA collection. We cover fiction, non-fiction, manga, comics, and graphic novels, so there is something for everyone! There is also a mixture of new releases and old favorites, so keep an eye on our posts for books to add to your TBR.
GENEVIEVRE RECOMMENDS A PHO LOVE STORY BY LOAN LE
Bao Nguyen is an average student with no real passions outside helping his family run their Vietnamese pho restaurant. Linh Mai on the other hand lives and breathes her art even while helping her family with their own pho restaurant, which is located across the street from the Nguyen’s. Bao and Linh might go to school together and come from similar family backgrounds and cultures, but since their families are mortal enemies and business competitors, they don’t speak. That is until Bao takes up journalism class, run by Linh’s best friend, and their paths begin crossing unexpectedly. As Bao explores his identity and Linh learns to stand up for herself, can the two overcome their family differences to become friends – or more? A Pho Love Story is a sweet novel about love, finding and staying true to oneself, the importance of family, forgiveness, and learning to deal with grief/loss in the face of tragedy – all with great Vietnamese American representation. This book is perfect for soup season and will leave you hungry!
NICOLE RECOMMENDS AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER – THE SEARCH BY GENE LUEN YANG
In this thrilling graphic novel, fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender finally get answers to one of the show’s most enduring mysteries: what happened to Fire Lord Zuko’s mother? When a long-lost clue resurfaces, Zuko and Team Avatar set off on a journey filled with danger, discovery, and unlikely alliances. Facing enemies old and new, Zuko must confront the shadows of his past to uncover the truth. This action-packed adventure is a must-read for any fan eager to delve deeper into the world of Avatar!
KAYLEIGH RECOMMENDS THE LAST TRUE POETS OF THE SEA BY JULIA DRAKE
After the attempted suicide of her younger brother, Violet is sent by her parents to the small town of Lyric, Maine–a town founded by her great-great-great grandmother who was the only survivor of a shipwreck. Grappling with the trauma of her almost-loss, Violet decides to devote her summer to discovering the location of that very shipwreck her ancestor survived with the aid of local friends and her strange uncle. A beautiful story of family, connection, and mental health, The Last True Poets of the Sea unfolds in atmospheric prose that will pull you in and not let you go as the mystery of the shipwreck unfolds.
MADY RECOMMENDS BY WARCROSS BY MARIE LU
Imagine a world where there is an alternate reality game being played, alongside real life. This is Emika’s world, and she is a tech genius. After being banned from the Warcross Games, Emika is struggling to find her place until she is contacted by the creator of the games himself. Emika is asked to join the World Championships, plucked from obscurity. Follow Emika’s journey as she plays these high-stakes games with real-world consequences.
YSANNE RECOMMENDS THE ART THIEVES BY ANDREA L. ROGERS
The Art Thieves, written by Andrea L. Rogers, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation is a newly- released dystopian YA novel that explores a world on the brink of apocalypse. The story takes place in the not-so-distant future, and the main character, Stevie, is a Cherokee girl who works at a museum in her small Texas town. While the world around her is already physically disastrous, causing people to try and carry on as normal through extreme weather conditions, she realizes it is about to get much worse when a boy comes to the museum to warn Stevie. He tells her he is from the future and that he traveled back in time to warn her of the pending apocalypse that is about to take place. At first, she tries to pay him no attention, but quickly realizes that there may have been more truth to his warning than she realizes. Readers are taken on a journey with Stevie and her loved ones, exploring both the young character’s experience as well as questions regarding the importance of art and love in the crumbling society around them.
